E R N I E ' S H O U S E O F W H O O P A S S

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Last September a Thunderbird F-16C crashed just after takeoff during an airshow performance in Idaho. The pilot managed to eject 0.8 seconds before impact and walked away with only minor injuries. As one might expect at an airshow, there were many cameras trained on Thunderbird #6 when the accident occured. Even so, this photo showing the $21 million jet just before impact is quite remarkable.

As a side note, the accident investigation report concluded that the accident was caused by pilot error. The pilot misinterpreted the altitude required to complete the "Split S" maneuver. He made his calculation based on an incorrect mean-sea-level (MSL) altitude of the airfield. The pilot incorrectly climbed to 1,670 feet above ground level (AGL) instead of 2,500 feet before initiating the pull down to the Split S maneuver.